Brian Jean formally announced he's running for the leadership of the brand new United Conservative Party Monday.

At a Rocky View County golf course Jean, who stepped down this morning as leader of the Wildrose party, repeatedly criticized Premier Rachel Notley's New Democratic Party in harsh tones.

"They've broken promises. Misled Albertans. They are secretive and dishonest. They treat every one of us who does not agree with them with increasing disdain and arrogance. They've allowed the Trudeau Liberals to write off Alberta." said Jean.

In front of a banner with the new slogan he'll be using during the campaign: "Here for Albertans!" while men in cowboy hats milled about in the crowd, Jean offered few specifics about what he'd do if elected leader. He spent much of the speech attacking the NDP, at one point claiming that they're embarrassed about certain aspects of Alberta's history.

"Our shared history of drilling oil and stampeding, fundamentally embarrasses the NDP and we've heard it from them," said Jean.

"We can and we must do better and together we can. Let me be clear, I can tell you this much, I will never apologize for our industries, for Alberta, for Albertans or for our province."

Jean has made no secret of the fact that he's planning on running for the leadership of the new party, today merely formalizes the announcement. The MLA for Fort McMurray-Conklin is the first out of the gate to announce following Saturday's overwhelming votes by both the Wildrose and the Progressive Conservative parties to form a new combined party.

On July 13, Jean surprised many in his party when he told Postmedia "most Albertans want a common-sense, middle-of-the-road government.”

During his speech Monday Jean did not explicitly echo that appeal. When asked whether he stands behind those comments in a subsequent press conference, Jean did not repeat that he still thinks people want a "middle-of-the-road" government. He would only say that he "rejects labels."

True to the hard right roots of Wildrose, he offered a few choice pronouncements regarding the problems with big government and issues with violent crime, which he says is "on the rise in every single corner of the province." He also promised to immediately eliminate the carbon tax if elected.

Jean is the second to throw his hat in the ring for the leadership of the new United Conservative Party. Doug Schweitzer got into the race before the unification votes, he's a Calgary lawyer who is trying to appeal to more moderate voters. Jason Kenney, the current leader of the Progressive Conservative party, is widely expected to get into the race later this week. He's holding a "special event" at the Metropolitan Conference Centre in Calgary on Saturday afternoon. Jean used a similar euphemism in the run up to Monday's announcement.

His team would only say he was making an "important announcement" Monday at 4:00 pm. Derek Fildebrandt has also been flirting with getting into the race, but has yet to provide an indication of when he'll be announcing anything one way or the other.

Jean played up his Alberta roots throughout the speech, potentially a dig at Kenney who spent much of the past two decades as an Alberta MP and then a cabinet minister in former prime minister Stephen Harper's government. He shied away from any explicit criticism of Kenney. For now at least, all he has is praise:

"I also want to say thank you to Jason Kenney, my friend, for his help to unify Conservatives," said Jean.